Mercado dos Lavradores

Mercado dos Lavradores, the Farmers' Market, stands at Largo dos Lavradores in the Old Town of Funchal, on the island of Madeira, Portugal. The hall dates from 1940 and is built in an Art Deco style around an open courtyard, with galleries of stalls on two levels and walls decorated with painted azulejo tile panels showing scenes of island rural life. It remains the main fresh-produce market of the city and one of the most visited sights in Funchal. Inside, the ground-floor courtyard is filled with fruit and vegetable stalls. Stallholders sell Madeiran bananas, avocados, custard apples (anona), passion fruit, and the banana-maracujá, a passion-fruit variety that looks like a small banana. Sellers commonly offer slices to taste before buying, and visitors should expect to be invited to try several fruits. Around the edges of the hall, flower sellers, some in traditional costume, arrange bird-of-paradise flowers, orchids, and other island blooms, which makes the market a favoured stop for photography. The fish hall at the rear is a separate tiled section where whole espada (black scabbardfish), tuna, and other Atlantic catch are cut and sold, with the busiest trade in the morning. The fish hall closes around 2PM, so visitors who want to see it working should arrive early. The market is open Monday to Friday 7AM-7PM and Saturday 7AM-2PM, and closed on Sundays and public holidays, although individual stall hours vary. Entry is free. A typical visit lasts one to one and a half hours, longer for those who stop to sample produce or buy gifts such as dried fruit, spices, and Madeira wine. Friday and Saturday mornings are the liveliest, when flower sellers and fishmongers are busiest; this is also when crowds are at their heaviest, and cruise-ship days add further visitors around midday. Weekday early mornings are quieter and better for photographs of the produce displays. Visitors should note that some prices for tourist-oriented fruit stalls are higher than those paid by locals, and that comparing two or three stalls before buying is common practice. The market sits about a ten-minute walk from the lower cable car station and is close to Rua de Santa Maria and the Zona Velha, so it combines easily with a walking tour of the Old Town.